Northampton Fans Debate Conference Change

Some Northampton sports fans say hourlong bus rides are too long, the level of competition too low and exciting traditional rivalries lost since the district moved into the Mountain Valley Conference.

But Northampton School officials say the new league is working out well and will be the best thing for the district in the long run.

"We knew it would be somewhat controversial. All types of changes like this are controversial," said Northampton Superintendent Ralph Tarola.

He said the school will evaluate the move after a year of competition.

Athletic Director Mike Schneider said the switch has been for the best in all sports.

"Our coaches seem very satisfied with it. Our girls have been very successful. And as far as easier competition, while those people were complaining to the school board (on Monday) our boys basketball team was getting beat by 20 points."

But Danny Marakovits, a high school guidance counselor and former coach of the boys high school basketball team, disagreed.

"I'm a parent and I'm looking out for my kid. And I don't think this is a good, sound move for my athlete.

"The main concern people have is the effects of the travel on the athletes and the costs of transportation to the district," Marakovits said.

The switch would have made sense if other local schools had gone into the new conference with Northampton. "But without them, it's not a good move," he said.

Other conference members include East Stroudsburg, Lehighton, Mount Pocono, Nazareth, Pleasant Valley and Stroudsburg.

"Danny is very vocal. He feels it is a mistake. For all our programs, I feel we made the right decision," Schneider said.

He said the district left the East Penn Conference in the fall because of where the conference was headed.

The talk at the time was that the East Penn would expand from 10 to 18 teams. Northampton would have been aligned in a division with Quakertown, Neshaminy and Boyertown.

The large number of conference games would have required Northampton to lose some traditional rivalries because of Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association game limits.

"There were a lot of things happening at that time. We felt aligning with Mountain Valley teams was a lot better and was a good opportunity for all our teams," said Schneider.

It is planned for the schools to compete in scholastic events as well, including chess club, band and Scholastic Scrimmage.

But Schneider admits that travel is a problem.

The longest commute, at 55 minutes, is to Mount Pocono. Under the East Penn schedule, the 30-minute trip to Emmaus was the longest.

"Those trips are long when compared to what we're used to," Schneider said. And because the league is smaller, those trips to away games aren't being made as often, he said.

"Fifty-five minutes is under ideal conditions on the Autobahn," Marakovits said. "But if we're going to travel, there should be a net gain there, but I don't see it.

"It's not a knock on the other schools, but when you have it (good competition) in your own back yard, why do they insist on having us travel up north to Pocono Mountains," he said.

Schneider said PIAA regulations would have made it too difficult to compete in the EPC. Limits on the number of games would make it difficult to play nonconference games. Most coaches would prefer to play nonconference games first to prepare for league play, he said.

Wrestling, and baseball schedules are opened up to allow for more tournaments and challenging nonconference games. The junior high school feeder programs, which are dying in the East Penn, are flourishing in the Mountain Valley Conference, Schneider said.

They talk about scheduling flexibility, but the girls swim team, soccer teams and others are scrambling to find opponents, Marakovits said.

"For all our programs, I feel we made the right decision," Schneider said.

And if the conference develops as expected, it will eventually have a southern division with Northampton, Nazareth and other area schools such as Whitehall, which considered leaving the East Penn.

This will be a very good conference, said Schneider.

If that happens, Marakovits said, he would be "100 percent beyond Mike Schneider and the move that our district made. But I don't see that happening. Those schools don't want to go there."